They lay out a smart game plan

70% of marketers lack a consistent or integrated content strategy.
- Altimeter

One of the key elements to a successful marketing mix is a great plan. Planning helps to establish goals then lies out the process of how to reach them and where to start.

Any good marketing plan - whether it relies heavily or not on content and engagement - will need benchmarks. A company needs to use marketing to achieve its long-term and short-term objectives, but unless you are able to clearly state how marketing will contribute to those results, efforts could be side tracked.

Marketing plans should include elements that will help retain current customers, reach a new audience, grow reputation and establish credibility in the marketplace. Choose a path and document progress. This will guide your focus for the years to come and earn insight into what works for your bottom line (and what doesn't).

Effectively tackling content marketing should involve a blend of three key ingredients: engagement, education, and planning. Develop a focused and goal oriented approach, and don't let the missteps discourage efforts - rather, use them to guide your future. Learn from your mistakes and they will help you succeed.

The old "establish a plan and stick to it" is rather intuitive but often ineffective. Instead, the often more successful system for modern agile marketers is to "establish a plan, constantly monitor it and tweak it to perform better."